Native to deep moist soils of the Caucasus, this suckering deciduous tree is a member of the walnut family, Juglandaceae, that also includes pecan and hickory. It grows up to 60′ tall and has pinnately compound leaves up to 18″ long with 7-27 glossy dark green leaflets that are 2-5″ long, ovate to lanceolate, and sharply toothed. The inconspicuous light green flowers appear in male and female catkins on the same tree in late spring. The male catkins are up to 5″ long while the female catkins are up to 20″ long, are less dense and have red styles. In early summer pollinated female flowers produce small green winged nutlets that turn brown in late summer to early fall and often persist into winter. The trees sucker and can form dense groves. They tolerate wet soil and are a good choice for planting in moist sites near streams, ponds, lakes and other water features. The genus name, Pterocarya, comes from the Greek words, pteron, meaning winged, and karyon, meaning nut. The specific epithet, fraxinifolia, comes from the Latin words Fraxinus, the genus name of alders, and folia, meaning leaf, and refers to the similarity of the leaf to that of alders.
Type: Deciduous tree
Outstanding Feature: Tolerance of wet soil
Form: Rounded
Growth Rate: Rapid
Bloom: Inconsipicous green flowers in male and female catkins on the same tree in late spring
Size: 30-60′ H x 30-60′ W
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, consistently moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 5-8
Care: Remove suckers to prevent spread.
Pests and Diseases: None of significance
Propagation: Division
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Karen Meyers